White Sox may not see big changes in next season's roster

When the opportunity presents itself this offseason, Ken Williams wants to strike.

Nathaniel Whalen

When the opportunity presents itself this offseason, Ken Williams wants to strike.

He insists he’ll remain one of the most aggressive general managers in the game and if the right fit is out there -- be it a big name or small -- Williams said he wants to make a run at that player.

“I’ll put it to you this way: There isn’t one player out there that will be available that we will turn away from,” Williams said during a 33-minute State of the Sox news conference before Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. “If that player can help us, we’re going to go down that road to see if the fit is there and the economics match.”

So it would seem the Sox are heading into one of the most active offseasons with roster changes left and right. Right?

“(It won’t be) as busy as one may think for a fourth-place club,” the GM said.

“Look at the base you’re starting with. You’re starting with some seven starting candidate pitchers, (four) of which have pitched in big games over the years and don’t show any signs of drop-off aside from obvious that a couple of them have had this season.

“We have a closer (Bobby Jenks) who is one of the best in the game and two left-handers (Boone Logan and Matt Thornton) that I believe are going to grow into quality guys over the next number of years.

“We’ve got to get (Mike) MacDougal back on track.

“Ehren Wasserman (who earned his first career win Saturday) has shown that he can be that funky guy from down low that makes some guys very uncomfortable. So you’re really only talking about one or two spots in the bullpen that we’re going to need to address.

“And then you take our everyday lineup and you look around and you start to say: ‘Wait a minute. Why are these guys where they are?’ We don’t have the complete answer.

“So that’s why I’m not necessarily -- the personnel, in terms of the splashy move, maybe (we’ll make) just a fit kind of thing. It might turn out that fit is also the big-name type player, but we’re setting out to find the answers. And we’ve missed a little bit of that grind and edge and we’ve got to get back to that.”

Gavin Floyd is giving the Sox a little leeway to find those answers if they decide to trade a starter.

The right-hander matched his career-high with seven innings on Saturday, allowing just one run on Carlos Guillen’s sixth-inning homer. Floyd has a 3.41 ERA in his last six starts and has shown the Sox the consistency they had been looking for.

“I’m pretty impressed with what I’ve seen the last six starts,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “This kid has opened a lot of people’s eyes.”

Jim Thome’s eyes were somewhat moist before the game as the Sox honored his 500th homer with a ceremony that included taped clips from former and current teammates, career highlights and his daughter singing during the seventh-inning stretch.

“That’s something I will cherish the rest of my life,” said Thome, who gave the Sox a 2-0 lead with a first-inning homer, the 507th of his career. “When you go through the game, moments like this stand out.”

Juan Uribe made sure that moment was part of a win when he came up in the bottom of the ninth. Marcus Thames had knotted the game at 2-2 with an eighth-inning pinch-hit homer, but Darin Erstad walked and Scott Podsednik reached on a fielder’s choice to start the Sox ninth.

Uribe then ripped a single through the right side to give the Sox their fourth win in a row, matching a season high.

“I’m seeing the ball better,” said Uribe, whom the Sox have a $5 million club option for next season. “When you see the ball better, you hit the ball better.”

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